J.B. Hutto

Biography

Joseph Benjamin Hutto, 26 April 1926, Elko, near Blackville, South Carolina, USA, d. 12 June 1983, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Huttos family moved to Augusta, Georgia when he was three years old, and he later sang in the Golden Crowns Gospel Singers, before moving to Chicago in 1949. While in Chicago he began to play drums and sing blues with Johnny Fergusons Twisters, and during the intervals he taught himself to play Fergusons guitar. In 1954 he recorded for the Chance label and these tracks are now considered to be classics of post-war blues. Huttos slide guitar demonstrated that he was influenced by Elmore James but had utilized his style to create a unique, personal sound; however, at the time of release, the records met with little success. In 1965 J.B. and his unit the Hawks were the resident band at Turners Blue Lounge (he worked there for over 10 years), when they recorded for the influential Vanguard Records series Chicago/The...